Markland-Hubbard Is A Community Coffee Spot With an International Flavor

Tucked away around the corner from the 99th Street Metra station, under the shade of a maple tree and behind a brightly colored “OPEN” flag is a little shop featuring big flavor.

“We have fourteen varieties of coffee from all over the world,” said Cindi Chessare, owner of Markland-Hubbard Gourmet Provisions.

These range from Scandinavian to Sumatran, but Chessare said that the most popular coffee varietal is the house blend, called the 95th Street blend. She also sells flavored coffee.

According to Chessare, Markland-Hubbard mainly serves train commuters who stop in for a sweet roll and a cup of joe before their departure time, but it’s always been more than just coffee. 

“I do sell coffee by the pound and gift baskets,” she said. “That’s very important to my business.”

Markland-Hubbard was originally located at 95th and Winchester near the 95th Street Metra station when Chessare bought it 17 years ago. 

“I thought it would be neat to have a business,” she said. She later moved the store to its present location.

Chessare kept the name of the original business. “The story that I got was that the first two women who started the business in the mid 80s’ [used] their grandmothers’ maiden names” of Markland and Hubbard, Chessare said.

As a resident of the Beverly area for more than 40 years, Chessare said her favorite part of the community is the small-town atmosphere. “Many, many people know each other,” she said. “Everyone is so friendly.”

One unexpected thing in a small-town atmosphere was the robbery of Markland-Hubbard in June. “I guess it was just time. All these years with nothing happening, it was just time. It had to happen eventually,” Chessare said. “I hope that was it. I hope that was my test.”

During the incident, which occurred around 7:30 a.m., a man walked in and said he had to go back to his car for his wallet, Chessare said. When he came back, he indicated that he had a gun in his waistband.

“I said, ‘What are you doing? A commuter could walk in at any second,’” Chessare said. “I couldn’t believe it.” 

Since the incident, “I can’t say I’ve seen a change in business,” she said. She attributed that to the natural slowness of summer. She said Markland-Hubbard’s busiest time of the year is Christmas, when people are purchasing gift baskets and coffee by the pound for holiday presents.

The shop is open weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. They can be reached at (773) 233-0632.